Careers Adviser of the Year

Kerry Clifford

Northamptonshire

Kerry is the Careers Adviser for the Stephenson Academy Trust, working across four sites including a social, emotional and mental health support centre and three pupil referral units.

Kerry has been enthusiastically engaging with network and she has developed a comprehensive plan to achieve all eight Gatsby Benchmarks. This has resulted in a number of action plans, resources and tools which she is sharing with other Careers Advisers in the Milton Keynes Careers Network through a CPD session she is leading.

Within her schools, Kerry has faced a number of challenges, with companies and organisations engaging with her students, given their often complex and challenging behavioural and emotional needs. To tackle this Kerry has created a project ‘Friends of Stephenson Trust’ through which the school can partner with and educate local businesses about opportunities and the benefits of engaging with the students. The first meeting was attended by over 25 local business leaders and has resulted in a number of volunteers being recruited to support the students.

Kerry has successfully piloted a mentoring scheme for students and established tools for monitoring the impact the professional relationship has on her students. With the help of volunteers from the FOST partnerships, this programme will be rolled out in full in September 2018, acting as the foundation of further Compass driven initiatives throughout the 2018/19 school year.

Kerry said,

"I was thrilled to even be nominated so to win is wonderful! I have been a careers adviser for 16 years and over that time I have seen careers go from being held in high importance to seeing it be almost eradicated from the curriculum and completely devalued. This is an exciting time to be a careers adviser as things are changing and on the up! To work in a job where I get to help young people to dream and plan and to realise and then begin to reach their potential is an honour. To be recognised for this with an award is awesome! I am truly very thankful to the people who nominated and voted for me."

Our judges said,

"Kerry is passionate about inspiring her students and works tirelessly to support their transition into post 16 options, working beyond her traditional guidance role to support transition by attending college with them to assist this process."

Careers Leader of the Year

Charlotte Selley

Penrice Academy Cornwall

Charlotte Selley works as a Careers leader at Penrice Academy, where students take part in a programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance from Year 7-11. Charlotte is responsible for overseeing the planned careers programme which is a mixture of sessions within tutorial time, careers events, activities, practical workshops, talks, lectures, and visits, all designed to encourage the students to explore different career possibilities. The programmes teach students much needed skills for when they leave education and enter the world of work.

The impact of the school’s CEIAG programmes can be seen through their results and destinations data including low NEET and not knowns and high number of apprenticeship starts.

Charlotte has a strong commitment to employer engagement, using innovative approaches. She instigated the formation of the Mid-Cornwall Careers Network in 2016, involving three other local schools working together to plan events to raise aspirations. This year they organised four events at different employers premises, each event promoted a different sector– Hospitality and Catering, Building a Better Future, Blue Lights and Innovation. Parents and students from all schools attended and it was commended by all.

Our judges said,

Charlotte’s energy and passion to plan and lead such a fantastic programme and her strong commitment to employer engagement, using innovative approaches throughout, has been highly commended by all of Penrice’s partners".

Enterprise Adviser of the Year

Roger Wilson

Roger Wilson Associates Cumbria

Roger is an Enterprise Adviser at Queen Katherine School in Kendal and was recruited by the CIPD. He brings his vast experience of HR practice and strategy development to his role as well as passion and commitment to support young people. Since he started he has transformed the school’s careers provision. The school’s careers provision has been highly commended by Ofsted.

Roger has formed a strong relationship with the Careers Leader at the school and the impact of their work has been to produce a detailed careers strategy document to help share its careers provision. This is being launched to stakeholders in October. Whilst compiling this strategic plan, Roger has also been instrumental in delivering some excellent activity including a Work ready day at which 50 employers conducted mock interviews with the year ten students. He has also teamed up with three other CIPD Enterprise Advisers to deliver a series of sessions to young people.

Roger said,

"I'm so proud to have won the national Enterprise Adviser of the Year award – it was really unexpected. It's great working with Queen Katherine School in Kendal and helping to get other businesses involved. The big thing for me is that this is all about enabling young people to make the best possible careers choices in life. It’s also important that we get more business people across the country volunteering to become enterprise advisors and sharing their experience in schools."

Our judges said,

"Roger has brought unprecedented energy, passion and commitment to the role in addition to his vast experience and already has even more ambitious plans for next year."

Innovative Partnership of the Year

Greater Manchester NHS Careers and Engagement Hub

Greater Manchester

The Careers and Engagement Hub is a collaborative project bringing together colleagues from 12 NHS provider Trusts in Greater Manchester. It provides a single point of contact for young people and CEAIG professionals who wish to access support and information regarding careers in the NHS.

Since the hub began operating NHS staff have supported 261 careers events in the Greater Manchester area to a total of 2536.43 man hours of NHS staff time. The hub team have facilitated nine large-scale careers events bringing together NHS professionals, academics and students to showcase NHS roles and provide guidance on next steps for young people. The team has developed four distinct engagement workshops focusing on different aspects of NHS employment such as Multi-Disciplinary Working, Recruitment Skills and Values & Behaviors. The team have also developed links with 210 local schools and 293 external professionals working in the field of careers, advice and guidance.

Leo Clifton said,

"Our team are so proud to be recognised for the work the Hub has done over the past two years. Our service has been built on the concept of working together with our NHS and GM partners and collaboration is at the heart of what we do."

Our judges said,

The level of collaboration among the trusts is unique, fuelled by volunteers giving over 2,500 hours of their time, developing links with 210 local schools and delivering 261 careers events. Their work has also been showcased at a national level by Health Education England."

Large Employer of the Year

Rick Stein Group

Cornwall

The Rick Stein Group has been committed to supporting local schools and colleges throughout Cornwall. They recognise the benefits of strong collaborative relationships. They have supported students in a wide range of ways for many years including encouraging apprentices of the group to return to their secondary school or college to give cooking demonstrations, with produce especially, fish that the students wouldn’t normally work with.

Students are given the opportunity to complete a wide range of hospitality activities by the group, including: laying tables in the Bistro, making beds in the hotel and making dishes in the seafood school. Students are linked with their counterparts from other schools to add a competitive edge, as well as giving them an invaluable insight into working in the hospitality sector. The group also helps college and school students develop employability skills, including taking part in mock interviews.

They strongly encourage students to apply for summer/weekend work as well as offering a wide range of work experience opportunities for school and college students.

The Rick Stein Group has become leading ambassadors for the hospitality sector and their stakeholders, playing a prominent role in encouraging young people to see the opportunities available to them. They have also helped young people understand how to make the most of networks and links throughout the world.

Sue Willmott, the Careers Adviser at Wadebridge School has commented:

‘The Steins Organisation is very supportive of Wadebridge School, but also works with schools and colleges throughout Cornwall. Steins has worked with Unlocking Potential, mentoring graduates in the workplace and supporting work experience at a higher level. Personally, I have been working with The Seafood Restaurant for over ten years, working with their apprenticeship recruitment programme. Steins have provided me with lots of help and support when working with Wadebridge’s students. I have seen them grow into a large enterprise but they have not lost sight of the importance of encouraging the next generation into a growing industry."

Our judges said,

"Rick Stein Group unceasingly help young people in Cornwall understand how to make the most of networks and links throughout the world. They are a bastion of good careers and enterprise provision practice in the most remote regions of our nation. Steins have become leading ambassadors for the hospitality sector and their stakeholders."

Provider of the Year

Science Oxford

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley

Science Oxford is the public-facing part of The Oxford Trust with a mission to encourage and facilitate the study, application and communication of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In the last year, Science Oxford has worked with 13 secondary schools in Buckinghamshire, supporting 873 students with further activity planned between now and the end of the Academic Year. They have delivered engineering and forensic challenges in school with the support of 15 volunteers from business, arranged workplace encounters at Lucy Electric, Altera and secured work placements for students at employers such as BMW Mini, Europa, Oxford University Museum of Natural History and Specsavers.

Princes Risborough School took part in an Engineering Challenge, set by Science Oxford, with their Year 8s and 84% of the students who took part said they would recommend the activity to others. They enjoyed the activity; teamwork was the most commented on but they also enjoyed learning new skills in a fun environment and being creative.

Karen said,

"We are delighted to have been given this prestigious award from the CEC. The World of Work programme has reached over 2000 secondary school students in the past year and that number is growing day by day. It’s been wonderful to watch our students engage with people working in STEM businesses across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to hear how much they’ve enjoyed the experience. We are so grateful to all the businesses who volunteer their time and people to the programme and hope that this is just the beginning of a valuable partnership with the CEC."

Our judges said:

"Science Oxford have delivered engineering and forensic challenges to young people with the support of 15 volunteers from business, arranging work encounters and work experience at revered organizations such as Oxford University, BMW Mini and Specsavers, to name but a few."

School or College of the Year

Matravers School

Swindon and Wiltshire

Matravers School, in Swindon, has implemented a stable and comprehensive careers strategy offering all students from Year 7 a minimum of two meaningful encounters with employers each academic year. This is done through careers talks, careers assemblies and careers fairs.

The school also provides potential NEET students with mentors, through strong links with local employers whom they meet regularly with, resulting in increased engagement with the school. Career pilot support and HE advisor support from Bath University takes place for groups of Year 9, 10 and 12 students supporting their career pathways also. A strong link has been forged with our enterprise network advisor who supports each of these events and also offers work place visits for our students.

Each student at Matravers by the time they reach Year 11 has a CV which they have received support writing, used at two interview days and received employer feedback and guidance to improve, preparing them for the future world of work. Student voice and employer feedback from interview days and the support workshops is glowing, identifying that the interview days are extremely effective and beneficial to the students. The regularity of meaningful encounters with employers from a wide range of career fields supports students with considering their future careers and the pathways talks offers guidance to them on the different routes possible. The number of students making informed choices on their options subjects in year 9 has significantly increased. Work place visits to local businesses and the development of a STEM Careers Club with a competition element has engaged large numbers of girls into STEM related careers.

Michelle Drewitt, Careers Lead and Acting Assistant Headteacher said,

"Matravers, a non-fee paying 11-18 School, blends an incredibly traditional, independent and positive ethos alongside an outstanding range of opportunities for children. To be named as Careers and Enterprise School of the Year inspires us to go further and look beyond to ensure that every pupil has access to the finest support and guidance. It is only through hard work, dedication and commitment that we will continue to help pupils secure their futures and transform their worlds."

Our judges said:

"Students receive 2 mock interview days, a CV checked by a minimum of employers and at least 1 university and work place by Year 11 and an additional day of structured support post 16. The development of a termly careers bulletin for parents, students and employer’s links careers with local labour market information. Student voice and employer feedback from interview days and the support workshops that preceded, and follow is glowing, identifying that the interview days are extremely effective and beneficial to our students.’’

SEND Careers Provision of the Year

The Castle School World of Work team

Newbury

The Castle School in Newbury caters for students with Special Education needs from the age of 3-19. The World of Work (WoW) team was set up to support students into employment and has been revolutionary in the way they deliver careers in a Special School. The team has transformed the provision to be set up more like a supported employment service to deliver outstanding outcomes for the students in the school. Creating the WoW brand has been critical in employer engagement and this has been so successful that employers now contact them to be involved. More than 68 companies are currently engaged with the WoW team providing talks, work placements, practice interviews – really anything the students need. The team also helped establish a Supported Employment service through the local authority to ensure students who gained employment had continued support after leaving school.

Over the past three years, the WoW team have given up their time to work with over 30 other schools and colleges to support them with their Careers programmes and sharing their resources. All students who have historically gained employment through the WoW programme have sustained their employment so the programme is having a long-term impact. The programme has had 100% success in Supported Internships converting to employment since introduced three years ago.

James Whybra from the World of Work team said,

"Winning this award and being recognised on a National level is an exceptional honour and one that means so much to the team. We are passionate about supporting students with SEND into sustainable employment. I hope this platform gives us the opportunity to share our knowledge, work with new people and then reflect and improve on what we do."

Our judges said:

"The World of Work brand has been so successful that employers now contact the school to be involved, with 68+ companies currently engaging and providing a rich rostrum of meaningful activities and encounters."

Outstanding Small or Medium Enterprise of the Year

Let's Do Business

East and South East

Let’s Do Business Group is a local, not-for-private-profit, business support organisation employing 30 people in Hastings, and has been supporting enterprise and careers in schools and colleges in East Sussex through a variety of different initiatives. They are a Cornerstone employer for Hastings, working in support of the Opportunity Area and are committed to multiple streams of support to schools across East Sussex. This includes supporting Eastbourne Youth Radio station, promotion of apprenticeships with East Sussex Colleges group and offering open door events inviting pupils to discover more about their own staff’s journeys to employment.

Graham Marley, Chief Executive of Let’s Do Business, is an Enterprise Advisor working strategically with an Eastbourne school to support their careers offer; he also supported the schools Investors in Careers accreditation and, through our network, introduced a number of businesses to support careers activities.

In the past five years, the group has offered an average of two work placements per year to students from East Sussex based schools and mentored a number of pupils from Robertsbridge Community College. The mentoring is delivered on a one to one basis and built around the specific needs of each individual pupil. LDBG staff involved feel that there is a need for longer term mentoring and have volunteered to continue supporting the pupils on an ongoing basis. This longer-term support had a positive impact with the mentees improving their attendance and becoming more focused on their studies and future employment.

Kaye Crittell, Office Manager at Let’s Do Business said:

"We are incredibly happy to receive these awards from Careers & Enterprise Company, which I share with the team and use to fuel more of our efforts in helping learners.

Supporting enterprise has been a part of our ethos from the beginning, realising that much of the support we can bring has to start on the grassroots level, and we are proud of the young people we have supported are going to have bright futures as the future leaders of our businesses."

Our judges said:

"They’ve offered individually tailored, long-term mentoring, sponsorship, Enterprise Advisers, and an average of two work placements per year to students whilst being a true Ambassador, proactively using their network to encourage other businesses to take action and joint the movement to impact the lives of more young people".